Midday open thread

• Email press release:

  In keeping with its pledge to make the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama one of the most open and accessible in history, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced today that, for the first time, the entire length of the National Mall will be opened to the public so that more people than ever before will be able to witness the swearing-in of the President from a vantage point in sight of the Capitol.

  The PIC has worked closely with officials from the District of Columbia government, the National Park Service, the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC), and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) to make space at this historic location available to members of the public who are unable to obtain tickets to the swearing-in. Those who come to witness the swearing-in on the Mall will be able to watch and listen to the ceremony on large screens that will be provided by the PIC along the Mall.

• Help us out by taking the Blogads survey. The more ads we sell, the more cool shit like polling (at least 150 next year) and the Electoral Scoreboard we can do.
• LA-Sen: The subscription-only Roll Call is reporting that GOP family values exhibit A, David Vitter, will be running for reelection.
• AK-Sen: I hope Berkowitz does run again. While the people of Alaska definitely have a predilection for felons and freaks, they made progress by electing Begich (however narrowly) to the Senate. Hopefully that's their version of baby steps, and they can get rid of the other soon-to-be-felon in their congressional delegation.
• Jesus, it's economic armageddon out there.
• How adorable. The WSJ has rediscovered the Constitution. Apparently, it applies to Democrats, but not Republicans. Huh!
• Cool tool ranks Google searches by states. So searching for Daily Kos tells me that Vermont loves this site, and Utah not so much.